//------------------------------// // Because It's Forbidden // Story: Cuddling // by cooopercrisp //------------------------------// Chapter 9: Because It’s Forbidden “Twilight, it’s Applejack! Answer the door!” Applejack continued to rap on the door, seething with anger that she couldn’t tell off her friend. Rainbow Dash took the opportunity to try swaying her. “You know, Rarity was acting funny around me long before I cuddled with her,” Rainbow Dash said. Applejack ignored her and continued to knock on the door, yawning as she did so. Finally, Spike answered the door, looking quite annoyed. “What?” he snapped, and then started to blush when he saw Applejack and Rainbow Dash looking down at him. “Oh, sorry. I heard you were looking for Twilight?” “Where is that mare?” Applejack demanded. “Ah want to give her a piece of mah mind!” “Well, in that case, I probably shouldn’t get her,” Spike said. “Spike,” Twilight called from inside the library, “it’s okay. Let them in.” “Really? Fine,” Spike conceded, letting them into the library. Applejack and Rainbow Dash stepped in and saw Twilight reading a book in the far corner of the room. Spike returned to Twilight’s bedroom, where he had been working before Twilight had called for him to answer the door. Twilight set her book aside and looked sternly at Applejack. “You sound awfully angry, Applejack,” Twilight said, looking at her carefully. “Is something the matter?” “Yeah, you were totally wrong about this cuddlin’ thing bein’ all natural and what not. Rainbow Dash was cuddlin’ with Rarity last night, and she got so attached to her that she confessed her love for her right then and there! The only logical conclusion is that the cuddlin’ led to the feelings.” Applejack stifled a yawn that had been threatening to come out ever since she started talking. “Really? And you don’t entertain the possibility that Rarity’s felt this way for months?” Twilight asked. “Well,” Applejack stammered before yawning again, “if she did feel that way, um, she knew to hide it until Rainbow Dash started leadin’ her on with her idea of cuddlin’. Rarity clearly got the wrong idea of what she was doin’!” “Hey, don’t blame me for this!” Rainbow Dash quipped. “My whole thing about this is that it’s totally platonic.” “Well, ah reckon ya didn’t make that clear to everypony involved,” Applejack retorted. “And now look at the mess it’s gotten ya into. What are ya gonna do now, Rainbow Dash?” “I’m going to keep cuddling with my friends because I think it’s fun and really comforting!” Rainbow Dash yelled back. “Girls, you might want to keep it down,” Twilight said in a hush. “This is a library, after all.” “Don’t you even start with me, Twilight Sparkle,” Applejack said. “Ah can’t believe you had me convinced that this was okay. Look at the mess Rainbow Dash is in now!” “I maintain that Rarity has felt this way about Rainbow Dash for some time now, and that the cuddling coupled with the confession was purely coincidental.” “And how do you know Rarity’s been smitten with Rainbow Dash for so long, huh?” Applejack asked. “Are you some all-knowin’ unicorn or somethin’? ’Cause none of us had any idea!” “I was sworn to secrecy,” Twilight explained, “but now that Rarity’s openly confessed to Rainbow Dash, I see no need to hide it any longer. Rarity told me three months ago she was starting to feel funny around Rainbow Dash. The two of us did some research—” “Oh, ah should have known—” “—and we discovered that Rarity had all the telltale signs of a crush. Naturally, I swore not to reveal it to anypony, because she wasn’t ready to confront you about it, Rainbow Dash, and I wasn’t going to rob her of the opportunity to do so when she was ready. I believe Rarity also talked to Fluttershy about it, but she never told anypony else as far as I could tell.” “But you can’t deny that the cuddlin’ had somethin’ to do with softenin’ her up to admit her feelings,” Applejack replied. “I know you said it was pure co…coinci…” she yawned again, “…coeenkedink, but ah reckon if Rainbow Dash hadn’t started gettin’ all snuggly with her then we wouldn’t be sittin’ here debatin’ this very subject, as Rarity would not have confessed to her!” “We still can’t be sure the cuddling caused Rarity to open up,” Twilight said. “Maybe she had just become tired of keeping it burning inside of her, and she just happened to let it out when…” “When what?” Applejack asked. “Now hold on,” Twilight said. “It’s true that lying in bed with another pony cuddling with them is an activity that can be shared by two ponies who are in a relationship, so maybe Applejack does have a point that the cuddling convinced her to confess.” “Ah knew it!” Applejack cheered. “But there is no basis for the claim that Rainbow Dash’s cuddling caused Rarity to fall in love with her, which is what you were saying earlier.” “Oh,” Applejack said. “Well, to be totally honest, there was somethin’ in the back o’ mah head tellin’ me there had to be more to it than that. But the cuddlin’ had somethin’ to do with it. You just admitted it!” “Congratulations,” Rainbow Dash said. “I mean, really, Applejack, what’s your point? So maybe me cuddling with Rarity convinced her to tell me she had a crush on me, so what?” “It means you’ve got to stop snugglin’ up with yer pony friends or stuff like this might happen.” “I’ve already snuggled with Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash said, “and none of them have admitted their undying love for me!” “Because we don’t have any,” Twilight said, trying to clarify her position. “In fact,” Rainbow Dash continued, shrugging off Twilight’s comment, “all that happened was that we had a nice time being close together, and I’ve never slept better! I can’t say the same for you, Applejack. You’ve got the biggest bags under your eyes. Have you been having trouble sleeping?” “What?” Applejack asked, smiling nervously. “Of course ah haven’t. Workin’ the farm gets me plum tuckered out so ah sleep like a log every night.” “Really? Are you sure? Because you haven’t stopped yawning since we got here.” “If you must know,” Applejack said sternly, “it’s yer business about cuddlin’ that’s been keepin’ me awake. Ah’ve gotten myself so worked up about it that it’s hard for me to sleep.” “Seriously?” Rainbow Dash asked. “That seems a little extreme.” “Rainbow Dash is right,” Twilight said. “To be uncomfortable with cuddling is one thing. To harbor anger for another pony just because she’s doing it is something else. What’s really going on, Applejack?” “Ah don’t know what yer talkin’ about,” Applejack said through another yawn. “Oh, I think you do,” Twilight said. “And we’re going to pry it out of you, one way or another.” “Ya can’t make me talk,” Applejack said. “No, but your element can,” Rainbow Dash said with a smirk. “You’re a terrible liar, Applejack. We know something’s wrong. It’s only a matter of time before you spit it out.” “Ah…ah don’t wanna talk about it,” Applejack said. “Y’all are goin’ to laugh at me.” “Applejack, we’re your friends,” Twilight coaxed softly. “We’re not going to make fun of you. If there’s something bothering you, we’re here to support you, no matter what.” “You…you promise not to get mad?” Applejack asked. “I’m getting mad now because you’re taking too long to spill the beans,” Rainbow Dash said. “I’m not going to be mad at whatever you’re going to say.” “I promise not to become angry as well,” Twilight said. “Okay…yer gonna hate me fer this, but here goes nothin…” Applejack had time for one more yawn while Rainbow Dash and Twilight watched her eagerly. “The truth is…” Applejack whispered, “ah’m jealous.” “Jealous?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Jealous of what?” “Of you, you big lout,” Applejack said. “Yer so comfortable with the idea of snugglin’ and you don’t have a problem askin’ yer friends to do it with you. Ya know what would happen to me if ah invited you over to have a cuddlin’ party? Granny Smith would yell at me, tellin’ me it’s some kind of unnatural thing ah should be savin’ fer colts! The truth is she’s the one who’s so dead-set against the whole idea of cuddlin’. She was ravin’ mad at me once because Apple Bloom was sleepin’ in my bed on account of she was havin’ a bad dream. Ah couldn’t even comfort mah own baby sister! So when you suggested it, Rainbow Dash, ah had to pretend to be all offended and repulsed by the idea even though ah wanted to say yes, ’cause what would Granny Smith think if she caught me snugglin’ up with one o’ my best friends? She’d get the wrong idea, and she would hate me fer it…” Applejack let a few tears stream down her face. Rainbow Dash and Twilight, stunned by the revelation, went to action when they saw Applejack crying. “Applejack, it’s okay,” Twilight said. “You’re here with us now. Granny Smith’s not going to get mad at you all the way out here.” “Why do you care what she thinks anyway?” Rainbow Dash asked. “’Cause she’s mah granny, that’s why…” Applejack said. “She’s the only parent ah’ve got left, and ah don’t wanna let her down.” “That’s why you’ve got to let her know she’s letting you down,” Rainbow Dash said. “Her strict no-cuddling policy is hurting you, and it shouldn’t be. You should be able to cuddle with your friends whenever you want. It’s your business what you do with your friends, right?” “Granny Smith don’t see it that way,” Applejack said. “She’d start wonderin’ if I was datin’ mah friend, and that would get all kinds of awkward.” “Well, what about here?” Rainbow Dash asked. “What?” Applejack responded. “Yeah, Rainbow Dash, what do you mean?” Twilight asked as well. “If Applejack and I cuddled here, on your bed, Granny Smith wouldn’t walk in on her and start lecturing her about the ‘dangers of cuddling’.” “No, I suppose she wouldn’t…” Twilight said. “Oh, Twilight,” Applejack pleaded, “please let us cuddle on yer bed. Ah’ve been up nights thinkin’ about how wonderful it would be, and it’s been killin’ me that ah can’t try it. Ah wanna know what it feels like. Can you please let us use yer bed…?” “Hmm…” Twilight pondered. Applejack looked crestfallen; she had expected a quick yes, and Twilight’s hesitation was frightening her. Twilight then smiled to herself and turned to face Applejack again. “You can use the bed to cuddle,” Twilight said. Applejack was practically beaming with joy. “On one condition…” Twilight added. Applejack now looked befuddled. “What’s that?” she asked. “I get to join you,” Twilight said. “I don’t know, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash said. “Can three ponies even fit on your bed?” “With a little magic they can,” Twilight responded, her horn glowing. Applejack was beaming once again. “Oh joy, this is even better than I coulda dreamed!” she cheered. “Gee, Applejack,” Rainbow Dash commented. “You’re even more excited about this than I am.” “Maybe that’s because it’s forbidden,” Twilight suggested. “That’s how Rarity feels every time she indulges in a piece of chocolate, or so she tells me.” “Sure,” Applejack said, “whatever, can we please just get upstairs?” “Okay, Applejack, settle down,” Twilight said with a smile. “Let me get the bed ready and we’ll jump right in, okay?” “Sure thing!” Applejack said. She bounded up the stairs to Twilight’s bedroom while Rainbow Dash floated behind her. Twilight trotted up the stairs behind the two of them. When they got into the bedroom, Twilight asked Spike to start working on the ground floor of the library so they could have some privacy. Spike decided not to question her request, and he took his feather duster down the stairs with him. Satisfied, Twilight closed her eyes and started focusing magic. Suddenly, the bed stretched out to about one-and-a-half times its normal size. The sheets, comforter, even the pillows looked like they had been stretched out like taffy. Pleased with her handiwork, Twilight climbed onto the bed, followed by Rainbow Dash. Applejack removed her Stetson hat and jumped onto the bed and bounced slightly as she landed on Rainbow Dash’s other side. Rainbow Dash wrapped her hooves around Applejack, who was tingling with excitement, while Twilight wrapped her hooves around Rainbow Dash. “Hold me a little tighter, RD,” Applejack requested. Rainbow Dash pulled her in closer. “That’s more like it,” Applejack said, smiling as she nestled into the sheets. “Well, goodnight everypony,” Twilight said. “Goodnight,” responded Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Soon the three of them were asleep, and for Applejack, sleep had never come more easily.